Announcing the new names after reciting the Regina Caeli prayer this afternoon, the Pope drew attention to the fact that all five “come from different parts of the world, showing the catholicity of the Church.”

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has made a point of choosing cardinals from the “peripheries” with a few exceptions. Often he selects them from the developing world and from sees never before headed by a cardinal. This time, with the exception of Barcelona, all have a cardinal for the first time. It is also the first time an auxiliary bishop has been elevated to the College of Cardinals.

Many Swedish Catholics are celebrating the choice of Bishop Anders Arborelius. The first ethnic Swede to have been consecrated bishop since the Reformation (most Scandinavian Catholics, particularly clergy, are immigrants or of immigrant descent), Bishop Arborelius played a key role in ensuring the Pope’s sensitive and controversial visit to Lund last year to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation went smoothly.

A Discalced Carmelite who was received into the Catholic Church at the age of 20, he is highly regarded by many Swedish Catholics who attest to his orthodoxy.

Despite speculation the Pope would introduce a new rule which would do away with the advised 120 limit of cardinal electors and increase the number to over 150, for now he will roughly adhere to the established practice, exceeding the limit by just one.

Currently there are 116 cardinals eligible to vote in the next conclave. Not until next year does the next cardinal exceed the voting age for cardinals, when Italian Cardinal Antonio Vegliò turns 80 on Feb. 2.

With the five announced today, Francis will have chosen 49 cardinal electors, close to half of the College eligible to vote in the next conclave.

Like his predecessors, the Holy Father will be aware that with each cardinal-making consistory he calls, his stamp on the Church is likely to become more enduring.

The Pope told pilgrims in St. Peter’s square today that the new cardinals will concelebrate Mass on Thursday, June 29, the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, along with new metropolitan archbishops, bishops and priests.

“John Paul II named a significant number of Cardinals. His successor was Ratzinger, okay. But after him was Bergoglio, not exactly of the same stamp as JPII.”

Whatta mean? Bergoglio was appointed bishop by John Paul II and made Cardinal by him as well. I mean, Francis screws around with Church doctrine about marriage and JPII screwed around with Church doctrine about salvation. Very similar, both had their own kind of scandals.

Posted by Kurt on Thursday, May, 25, 2017 11:18 AM (EDT):

@Tom, from the standpoint of many in the East, cardinals have a lower status than patriarchs. Further, cardinals are an office of the Roman church. That is why the Melkite patriarchs have declined the offers.

Posted by Dawn Marie Jens on Thursday, May, 25, 2017 12:21 AM (EDT):

The most surprising and perhaps importante appointment is Archbishop Zerbo from Mali -A majority of the population are Muslims in the Country and surrounding regions - Bamako » Timbuktu is 1003 KM - also two UN Peacekeepers were killed in an ambush May 23, 2017 - jihadists are active in the area and religious extremism is also mounting. Last week, an unmarried couple accused of having an affair was stoned to death in the region, according to witnesses. The U.N. mission in Mali is the world’s deadliest active mission.
The growing Islamist threat in Mali coupled with extreme poverty - hunger - lack of education is to put it lightly a concern - Islamist militants are targeting schools - the jihadists are going after all the French schools, those seen as western, and threatening the teachers to shut down or face death - this tactic then allows the militants to recruit young people.
Please pray for the People in this region and that this appointment will draw attention to the growing problems and offer much needed help and solutions.

Posted by Balderdash on Tuesday, May, 23, 2017 12:57 PM (EDT):

That was bad timing. With Trump showing-up, on his way to organize NATO, a cardinal’s hat would go great with his new yarmulkeh and the ‘necklace’ he got from the Sauds.

Just what are the rules about Princes of the Church and why couldn’t an American President qualify? The honor, and the outfit, would have impressed the hell out of our NATO allies.

Posted by John on Monday, May, 22, 2017 11:18 PM (EDT):

Happy to hear Bishop Anders Aborelius is on the list. He did a series on EWTN about 10 years ago on Carmelite prayer, which I am currently watching on DVD. A great series and teaching from the good bishop!

Posted by tomt on Monday, May, 22, 2017 7:22 PM (EDT):

The only Eastern Orthodox Patriarch that wants anything to do with this liberal Pope or the West since Vat. II is Bartholomew and his reasons are obvious, he needs all the help he can get in Istanbul where he is surrounded by Muslims. The rest of the Orthodox Church is staunchly against any relationship with the East for fear of loosing their Orthodox tradition to modernity and all that was clearly on display with the Pope`s recent visits to Orthodox strongholds where he was greeted with signs to return where he came from along the route he used. What is most interesting to me is the fact that Orthodox sacraments are considered valid by the Roman Church while the Orthodox do not consider the West`s sacraments as valid as they believe the Roman Church is in heresy.

Posted by Matthew on Monday, May, 22, 2017 12:53 PM (EDT):

“His stamp on the Church is likely to become more enduring”??? I’m not sure this follows. John Paul II named a significant number of Cardinals. His successor was Ratzinger, okay. But after him was Bergoglio, not exactly of the same stamp as JPII.
Matthew

Posted by Nick Stellhorn on Monday, May, 22, 2017 8:10 AM (EDT):

The Bishop of Stockholm, Sweden will become a Cardinal but the Archbishops of Philadelphia (Chaput) and Los Angeles (Gomez) will not. Please don’t tell me that Rigali and Mahoney still count for these mega-archdioceses. They are both retired and are at or nearing the age that they will not be able to participate in a conclave.

The problem with “picking from the peripheries” is that representation in the College of Cardinals is not proportional to where the Faithful are.

Posted by Maggie McT on Sunday, May, 21, 2017 4:45 PM (EDT):

But why not Archbishop Jose Gomez?

Posted by Dr.Cajetan Coelho on Sunday, May, 21, 2017 3:04 PM (EDT):

God bless our Cardinals.

Posted by TomD on Sunday, May, 21, 2017 11:56 AM (EDT):

One would wish that the all of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic churches would have been included. Now that would really be from the peripheries.

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Edward Pentin began reporting on the Pope and the Vatican with Vatican Radio before moving on to become the Rome correspondent for the National Catholic Register. He has also reported on the Holy See and the Catholic Church for a number of other publications including Newsweek, Newsmax,Zenit, The Catholic Herald, and The Holy Land Review, a Franciscan publication specializing in the Church and the Middle East. Edward is the author of “The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? An Investigation into Alleged Manipulation at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family”, published by Ignatius Press. Follow him on Twitter @edwardpentin